Thought I'd put this up here for posterity's sake.  When forced to feed myself with minimal ingredients on this snow day, I improvised.  And I must say it's amazing.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

-1 yellow chopped yellow onion

-1/2 diced jalapeno pepper

-2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

-1 Can of Pumpkin (NOT pie filling)

-2 and 1/2 C. Vegetable broth (mixing broth and water is fine)

-1 large spoonful of peanut butter

-Coconut Milk

-Seasonings: salt and pepper, ginger, thai seasoning, any fresh herbs are fine.

1) Sautè the onion, pepper, and garlic in a pot with wok oil until onions are transluscent.  Make sure to season the onions with salt and pepper.

2) Add the pumpkin and vegetable broth.  It will probably be easiest to add the broth in the pumpkin can--less dishes.  It's about a can and a half of broth.  Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.

3) Stir in the peanut butter and season to taste.  It will probably need a lot of salt.  Simmer until peanut butter is dissolved.

4) Add coconut milk until soup changes color slightly.  You'll only need about a 1/2 cup.  Stir soup together.  At this point you may either blend it or serve it.  

5) Top with crushed cashews.  It's really good!

Bloomington Hates Snow!

So, today was a snow day!  I didn't know it was so bad out.  But I just walked to my front door and saw the mess.  Yup.  We got a lot of snow.  And last night it was sleeting the entire night.  I thought the east was prepared for this stuff.  And, I mean, we're only a few hours from Michigan.  But apparently Bloomington has no efficient snow-plowing capabilities.  No complaints here.  The snow day couldn't have come at a better time.  Yesterday was truly AWFUL.  TERRIBLE.  HORRENDOUS.  Unfortunately, my bad mood prevented me from stocking up for the snow storm, so I don't really have anything to eat.  Yet again a repeat of Thundersnow 2006.  

Well, whatever.  I'm anticipating a day of knitting (mark's sock #1 is done! and I just began my squirrel mittens), and a day of no showering, and a day of Mariokart and Animal Crossing.  And maybe even a snowman.  We'll see.  Maybe.

(See, I don't shower)

Back to Square One

So I've been in school for a week now, and so far the semester has been going okay.  Not great, but okay.  

I had been proclaiming to the rooftops that I was going to do one of my two recitals this semester, but I think I'm going to save it until next September.  Mainly because I want it to be a spectacle with lots of instrumentalists and whatnot, but I think trying to pull that off during April's recital season would be death (for me and everyone else).  Instead I'm trying to fill my time with other things--an audition for St. Matthew Passion (fingers crossed), learning the solos for Haydn's Creation (MORE fingers crossed)... and things like that.  I just feel like I spent all last semester trying to prove myself (I'm not very competitive, so that's hard), and here I am this semester trying to prove it all over again.  It's frustrating... I've already had several teary conversations with Mark.

Speaking of Mark, my visit to Portland was AMAZING!  I love him so much.  My two week stay there proved that everything is a-ok in our friendship.  The distance has even brought us closer.  Which is wonderful.  I got to meet his boyfriend (who I adore) and everyone else (the good, the bad, and the ugly).  Dawn Upshaw cancelled her concert (she was sick), so we were pretty upset... but the concert Mark and I gave was definitely a success.  It was so great to sing with him.  It really raised my confidence about my own abilities as well.  The goodbyes were crazy hard.  I was a mess for a few days up to the goodbye, and a few days after.  I just didn't want to leave and go back to a place with so little support...

I also saw Kyle over break.  We had a lot of time to catch up.  Just like Mark, it seems like Kyle and I have gotten closer since my move as well.  I find that odd, but in a good way.  We sang a lot together, watched bad tv, tortured my mom with cookie decorating, and even squeezed in an opera.

I also met up with Whitney and Neil a few times--once after Christmas, and then when I got back from Portland.  They drunkenly picked me up at the airport and had made a sign.  Amazing.  Whitney asked me to be one of her bridesmaids!  I'm pretty excited because she's one of my only female, non-gay friends so the opportunity to be a bridesmaid might not come again.  I miss them--especially how energetic and positive they are about life.  I guess because they're both happy...

I also met up with the old Crabbster.  We had coffee in the HyVee Starbucks.  Lamest thing ever.  But it was nice to see him.  It always is.  He gave me some great advice and seemed really interested in everything that was happening with me at IU.

So far back in Bloomington, besides music, I've been trying to be social (the DDR party on Sunday was a success!), finish Mark's socks, cook a lot, and find a job.  The job hunt so far is fruitless.  The socks are scary (try knitting something fitted for someone who isn't there to try it on).  I'm slowly getting sucked into my Wii and the fictional town of Animal Crossing.  But it's one of the only things I can so while plopping down in front of my space heater on days when the windchill is in the negative digits.

Loss of an Idol

Tessa Bonner, famed soprano of the Tallis Scholars, passed away on the 31st.  I just found out.  I know it's a great loss to the group and to the early music community...